Siciliano's Kegging Revisited Kegging your home brewed beer, cider or soda is the ultimate way to store, age, lager, serve and even bottle your beer. The soda industry's 5 gallon Cornelius kegs can easily be converted into a home brewers' serving or carbonating tank. These kegs come to us used and we stock all the accessories that you will need to keg, carbonate and dispense your beer at home or any where else you'd like to pour a pint. This short article will give an overview of the basics of kegging, beginning with selecting a keg, taking it apart and cleaning it up, filling it and carbonating and dispensing your beverage.      Anatomy of a Kegging System Corny kegs are simple to properly clean and to use, however, in order to use the system successfully; the brewer must take the time to examine all parts of the keg and Co2 system. The keg itself consists of the main cylinder, the removable top (which may or may not have a release valve), the detachable outposts, the poppet valves which rest inside the outposts, and the dip tube(s) which insert into the keg's cavity below the outposts and hang from their pipe-flared ends. (Ball locks usually have a liquid and gas dip tube while pin locks sometimes have no gas dip tube) The dip tube(s) have an O-ring, the outposts have exterior O-rings and the removable top has a large O-ring.   The disconnects attach the keg to the serving line (liquid) and Co2 line (gas) via the keg's outposts. Gray is for gas and black for liquid. They themselves come apart into five separate components which must be taken apart and cleaned often. Use a screw driver or butter knife to untwist the top of the disconnect, revealing the spring and plastic poppet. The disconnect's screw cap also has a small O-ring.     3/16 I.D. hose is the industry standard liquid line inside diameter. Gas line can be of any reasonable I.D. as long as it is think walled or of a high quality (i.e. not siphon hose). Clamps should be used to secure the gas line but are not necessary on the liquid line if the proper line I.D. and flare fitting are used. The liquid line attaches to the beer faucet and the gas line to the regulator and Co2 tank.       Selecting a Keg There are two types of Corny kegs, Ball Lock and Pin Lock; the difference being distinguished by the connection outposts. Both are of equal quality, the Pin Lock being slightly squatter than the Ball Lock. When choosing a keg, look over the metal outposts; are they badly nicked or damaged? Is the rubber top or bottom severely cracked? Always decompress a keg by pressing down on the poppet valve on the IN outpost with a screw driver before opening! Now open the lid and have a look inside. Is the liquid dip tube in place? The bottom dented? Remember: used kegs are not pretty! Expect a mess; just ensure all necessary parts are present. Once you have obtained your keg, its time to take it apart and clean it up. Typically all used keg parts are reusable but we would recommend replacing (1) the removable top's O-ring, (2) the outpost's O-rings and (3) the dip tube O-rings. This will cost less than $5 dollars and is what is meant by the phrase reconditioned keg. Dissecting and Cleaning Your Keg A few tools and products are needed to properly clean and maintain your home kegging system. A deep well socket or a slotted deep well socket will aid in loosening the outposts for cleaning. A crescent wrench could also be used. A (1) carboy brush is helpful is scrubbing the interior, an  (2) air-lock brush for small openings on the outposts and disassembled disconnects, and a (3) dip tube brush for hoses and tubes will help inhibit beer flawed from contamination. A Spray Wand makes it easy to clean your keg without putting it in your sink. Use PBW, a cleaner designed to handle stainless steel, plastic, nylon and rubber, to clean all components. Rinse with warm water and sanitize with a liquid sanitizer (or powder if you already have some) directly before you fill. When deconstructing your keg for cleaning, remember to first decompress. Next remove the top. Using a socket or crescent wrench, loosen and remove the outposts. Pull out the dip tube(s) and free the poppet from the outpost interior. Rinse out the keg and fill partially with a solution of PBW. Put all small parts into the keg or a small bowl to soak in the cleaner. Scrub the keg with the carboy brush, openings with the airlock brush and the dip tubes with the appropriate brush. Flush with warm water and reassemble. Rinse with a sanitizer before filling. Clean your equipment after every batch! Keep your line, disconnects and faucets clean to ensure a proper tasting pint. Disassemble the disconnects and faucets and soak in PBW. Scrub them with an airlock brush and flush with warm water. Flush the hoses with hot water, a PBW solution, and hot water again. Try not to let your lines, faucets or disconnects sit unused with beer in them as they will become tainted with mold even at cold temperatures. Store dry.   To clean or sanitize multiple kegs or lines, fill one keg with sanitizer or cleanser and use your Co2 tank to push the cleanser through. This works great for cleaning lines and saves on time. Filling and Carbonating First, determine how you will be keeping your beverage cold; will you be using a fridge? a converted chest freezer? ice in a bucket? Keep in mind the relation between Co2 absorption in a liquid and temperature: the colder it is, the easier it is! To fill your sanitized keg, first purge the atmosphere with Co2 to prevent oxidation and unnecessary aeration. Gently siphon your beer in and attach the removable lid (add priming agent if you intend to naturally carbonate your beverage). Next, if you have not yet done so, attach the gas disconnect. Now open the Co2 tank and seal the lid with a short burst of Co2. To inject Co2 into your beer simply open the Co2 tank and turn up the PSI's on the regulator. However, a few conditions need to be met in order to obtain a desirable level of carbonation in your beverage. Recall our maxim: the colder it is, the easier it is for a liquid to absorb Co2 and maintain that absorption level. This being the case, it is desirable to have your keg in a fridge. To view a chart detailing how to  carbonate your beverage, set the thermostat to the desired temperature and the regulator to the proper PSI click HERE. The left column is Degrees F and the top row PSI's. The volume of Co2 achieved under these conditions is represented by the numbers on the chart. The typically ideal volumes, 2.4 - 2.6 volumes, are expressed in yellow. Establish the temperature at which your keg will be stored. Now, according to the chart, dial in the proper PSI in order to achieve your desired volume of Co2. Depending on the temperature and PSI, your beverage will reach equilibrium in a few days. If you're patient you will be rewarded with a perfectly carbonated beverage. Crank and Shake? Vigorously shaking your keg as the Co2 flows in will aid the absorption of the gas into the liquid. This method can be used to speed up the time it takes to achieve your desired carbonation volume. It is, however, more challenging to achieve your target Co2 level relying solely on this method. I would suggest giving the keg a few shakes over the course of a few days, under the proper PS'¦s and at the proper temperature, to help ensure complete carbonation as opposed to shaking and drinking in the same afternoon.  Read more about this HERE Dispensing Using a Balanced System Assuming the desired level of Co2 volumes has been achieved, the time has come to tap your keg! We recommend carbonating and dispensing at the same PSI. This is called a balanced system by the folks at Northern Brewer. Please take a moment to read their detailed article on the topic HERE. By carbonating and dispensing at the same PSI, temperature and therefore volumes of Co2, the regulator only needs adjustment during the carbonation stage; meaning it keeps things simple. However, to ensure a proper pouring balanced system, a few variables must be achieved. 1) Use only 3/16 I.D. liquid line hose. The small inside diameter of this line will help slow the flow (reduce the PSI) of the beverage you are pouring. 2) Use 6 - 8 feet of liquid line. This additional length will aid in reducing the PSI's forcing of your beverage from the keg to the faucet. In general, every foot of 3/16 line reduces the PSI's by 1. 3) Keep your beer line cold. Cold line helps Co2 stay in solution as a pint is being poured, warm line aids in the premature release of Co2 making for foamy beer.    4) Open the faucet completely when pouring a pint. No matter the type of faucet used, opening it all the way permits the least resistance ensuring a calm and steady pour.    These four factors will allow you to pour your beer at the same PSI at which it was carbonated keeping your draft system simple and your carbonation levels consistent. Always keep your keg attached to the Co2 tank and the gas flowing. By doing this your beverage will (1) maintain the proper carbonation level and (2) pour smoothly. It does not matter whether or not your gas tank is in or out of your fridge.    It is possible to dispense your beverage even if your system is not balanced. For instance, if only a short draft line is used or if the line is warm (think picnic) you could (1) depressurize the head space in your keg by opening the release valve or by pressing down on the IN (gas) outpost poppet valve and then (2) pour at an appropriately reduced PSI.      Please refer to the included sources for a more detailed approach. The Pro Mash software also contains helpful strategies and techniques. Weston Eaton   9/8/06